1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a power supply for electrical domestic appliances, comprising: at least one connection to the mains electricity supply, and at least one connector for releasable electrical coupling of the power supply to a domestic appliance. The invention also relates to a domestic appliance for co-action with such a power supply, comprising an electrically driven element, such as for instance a heating element, cooling element or motor, and a mating connector for co-action with the connector of the power supply.
2. Description of the Prior Art
According to the prior art there already exist electric kettles for domestic use with a separate power supply which is generally embodied as a carrier base. An electrical connection between the kettle and the base is immediately established by placing the kettle on the base. For this purpose the kettle and base are respectively provided with one or more plugs and sockets When the kettle is removed from the carrier base the electrical coupling is broken once again. An on/off switch, a steam detector and the necessary provisions protecting overheating are generally integrated into the kettle. An advantage of this construction is that the kettle can be filled or emptied without the inconvenience of a connecting cable. The drawback of the existing carrier base with socket is that it can only be used with a specific kettle.
The British patent application GB 2 050 720 describes a device co-acting with a heating element for regulating passage of electrical current. The device comprises regulating means for regulating the amount of power to be fed to the heating element. The regulating means are provided with a magnet displaceable along a guide and a circuit of resistors of different sizes connected to each other in parallel. Depending on the desired set temperature a particular resistor is activated by the magnet, which results in a determined amount of power to be fed to the heating element. One or two mutually connected fuses are preferably incorporated in the device with an eye to safety of use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,344 describes a portable device for supplying power. Described in particular is a device which comprises a belt and a plurality of mutually coupled batteries connected to the belt. The device is preferably also provided with an AC/DC converter. At least one of the batteries comprises a connector for releasable electrical coupling of the device to a (portable) appliance. In a preferred embodiment at least one of the batteries is provided with a plug, which plug is adapted for co-action with a socket connected to the mains electricity supply to enable recharging of the batteries.
The present invention has for its object to provide an improved power supply for electrical domestic appliances which can be employed to feed diverse appliances in an efficient manner.